Friday, April 5, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.
Five hundred and eighty-seven parking spaces have opened up to visitors at the Sawyer State Office Building.
Unfortunately, they are in what formerly was the employees-only section, way in the back. And since visitors can park in the old employee lot, guess where state employees now can park?
A Feb. 28 memo from the Capitol Police -- the state's security force -- to all agencies in the government center at 555 E. Washington Ave. indicates state employees now can park in the 206-space public lot directly in front of the building without fear of retribution.
While some employees undoubtedly will pick the closest spaces for themselves, leaving visitors to walk longer distances to seek services and attend public meetings, state officials say 90 percent of employees still are using the old employee lot.
"Before, the public had access to just 200 spaces, which would fill up quickly when big meetings were held there, forcing them to park elsewhere (off site)," said Mike Meizel, administrator of grounds and buildings for the state.
"Now, visitors can park in the employee parking area when the public lot is full -- giving them more than 700 spaces."
State officials say that about 390 of the 587 employee spaces were being used on a daily basis last year. As a result of the policy change, visitors now will have access to the 197 average empty spaces.
But perhaps what is most disturbing about the policy change is that it came about not because of a well-thought-out plan to improve parking, but because the state was helpless to stop a handful of stubborn workers.
"There are ... a small percentage of employees who have steadfastly refused to park in the employees' lot for various reasons, most of which are self-serving," the Capitol Police wrote in the Feb. 28 memo. "There are no statutes by which we can enforce parking, therefore, we cannot control it."
As a result of the noncompliance, the Capitol Police said it is now asking employees to voluntarily park in the old employee lot, which can be as far as a quarter-mile from their offices.
"We would ask that the 90 percent of employees who have parked in the employees' lot continue to do so, allowing the public to utilize the front lot," the memo says.
About the time of the memo, duct tape was placed over the word "employee" on employee parking signs at the state building, indicating open parking for all.
The memo followed by just a matter of weeks a much-sterner Capitol Police memo dated Jan. 17, which noted that about 30 state employee cars were parking in the public lot on a regular basis.
The agency warned that, starting Jan. 22, "any building 'residents' found parking in the visitor parking area will be reported to the director of that agency for appropriate action."
The memo urged "the conscientious majority" of employees to assist Capitol Police by "correcting your co-workers (who) are abusing the public parking."
The memo further stated that the Capitol Police "are always available" to escort employees to their vehicles, easing fears of those who felt vulnerable walking long distances to their cars, especially at night.
Among the major state offices in the Sawyer building are the Department of Taxation, State Gaming Control Board, Public Service Commission, Tourism Commission, the governor's Southern Nevada office (Gov. Bob Miller has a reserved parking space in the facility's garage) and the Labor Commission.
Don Haight, chief deputy attorney general, whose office is in the Sawyer building, said he still parks in the employee lot and feels the vast majority of workers do too.
"One of the main reasons for having the separate employee lot was to provide protection for the cars by allowing limited access," he said.
Haight noted that disabled state employees always have had parking spaces close to the building, but independent of the public's handicapped spaces directly in front.
Only time will tell whether state employees will fill the 200 spaces once reserved for visitors. Meizel is optimistic that won't happen, but still acknowledged: "What we have now is an honor system."
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